The Offer

Recently, there were several people on the main street holding signs to indicate their participation in the Free Hugs Campaign" ('Free hug' being translated as 'Umarmung umsonst' in a less huggable language).

It's a very beautiful idea: random(ish) acts of kindness to promote connectivity and an appreciation of self and others.

It is only if one starts to assign too much worth to the identity of the hugger that the delightful purity of the empathetic endeavour is somehow diluted.  But one must admit: the hugger's identity does in large part dictate whether or not 'free' is good value or not.

Examples of instances in which sharing a 'free hug' might still be considered a net loss.